


The Star and The Sea

by BlueRose430



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9116740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRose430/pseuds/BlueRose430
Summary: Importing this over from FNN because a friend of mine recommended here, author's notes and all. Because I'm lazy.Star is feeling feels. Marco and Jackie are together, but is it what they both want? And the Spellbook is in the hands of Ludo with something worse possibly waiting in the shadows. Star vs. The Forces of Evil/Starco ship trash, with a fun gimmick: all the chapter titles either relate to Stars (Star) or the Ocean/Sea (Jackie). Symbolism, kiddies!





	1. Doldrums

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I claim Star vs. The Forces of Evil**

It was almost a dream come true for Marco. It had only been 2 days since the date with Jackie Lynn Thomas, and already she and Marco had made plans to go see the new monster flick at the Echo Creek Cinema! In just two days, he'd discovered more about Jackie Lynn then he had in 10 years of distant longing. It was all he had ever wanted, this should have been the happiest time of his life! But...there was Star. The events of that day had shattered her. Her spellbook had been taken by Ludo, and Glosaryck was gone with it. Her spellbook and her mentor were both gone, and while she would never say so out loud, she was afraid that Marco would soon follow. It took everything she had just to get up these last couple mornings, and it had shown. She had always lived up to her name, an inescapable beacon of joy and excitement that lit up any room she walked into. But these last 2 days, she had been a black hole that happiness went into to never return.

Marco had never seen her like this. Star had been sad before, but he had never seen her...defeated. That's what it was. Star was completely and utterly defeated. He had tried every known method of cheering her up. Tom had even be gracious enough to take several punches directly to the face to try and find her smile. It had gotten to the point where his eye had been blackened. Nothing.

Star came down for breakfast from her room and was immediately bombarded by Marco, a plate of waffles in hand. Star simply looked away. She knew Marco was only trying to cheer her up, and while she appreciated it, Marco was part of the problem. Ever since he had officially become, ugh, smooch buddies with Jackie Lynn she felt...weird. Like bad weird. Like she had a stomachful of Mewni-flies, buzzing around and all trying to burst out through her chest. Blech. Worse, she didn't know who to talk to! StarFan13 wouldn't give her any advice she couldn't think of for herself, she didn't want to strain her friendship with Janna, and while she wasn't 100% sure about earth traditions, she didn't exactly feel like she could talk about Marco and Jackie with...Marco or Jackie. Glosaryck was gone...wait! There WAS someone she could talk to about this! "Wow," she said to herself, "I'm actually going to do this. Things are bad. Bad, bad, _baaaaaad_." She shuffled over to the mirror on the wall, pulling down the curtains around it. "Mirror, mirror on the wall. Call...Mom" The mirror lit up, making the weird noises it always did when making a long distance call. The mirror lit up, but it wasn't the face she was expecting to see.

"Why, STAR, my dear! Do what do I owe the pleasure?" came the booming voice of her father, King River Butterfly.

"I...was actually calling for Mom, thanks," Star replied. The king was surprised at her response. It wasn't like Star at all, it was...downright dull!

"What's happened, my dear. You look positively in the doldrums! The DOLDRUMS! Where's that boy of yours...Marco is it? He usually can help put you in a grand mood!"

"Why don't you ask Jackie Lynn Thomas where Marco is?" Star mumbled, "SHE'S his...his...SMOOCH BUDDY NOW! SHE probably could tell you exactly where Marco is!"

The king looked taken aback, "Jackie Lynn Thomas, it can't be! But that means..." The king trailed off, mumbling to himself.

"Oh well here's your mother now! I imagine she'll be far more qualified to discuss matters of...hrmph, _Smooch Buddies_ with. Good day my dear!"

Queen Moon Butterfly now showed up on her daughter's mirror, distracted by something off screen.

"Oh Star, my dear Star. What have you done this ti-", Queen Moon had looked into the mirror and seen her daughter's face. Without a word, she drew a pair of dimensional scissors from a hidden pocket of her dress, cutting a hole into the space in front of her. She stepped through the rift and into her daughter's bedroom, pulling her in for a wordless hug. Star stayed in her mother's arms for what felt like an eternity, tears running down her face. Her mother let go, pulling her out to look in her daughter's eyes.

"My poor Star...tell me all about it. I'm here...Mother's here."

* * *

Star told her mother everything. The loss of her spellbook. Glocaryck. And Marco. Normally, the Queen would be yelling at her daughter for the loss of such important things but she sensed that the spellbook was the least of Star's worries at the moment. Star was babbling, words were coming out just as quickly as the thoughts left her mind.

"But, Marco and I are just buds, right? Like I don't want to...at least I don't think I want to...I want him to be happy, and he's happy with Jackie Lynn! So why do I feel all...blech?"

The Queen patted her daughter on the arm, "I believe you can answer this one all by yourself, dearie."

Star nodded silently. Her mother was absolutely right. She knew exactly how she felt about Marco, how she had always felt about him. And she knew just what a massive mistake she had made.

"I always thought...I always thought that there wouldn't be anyone else. It would just be him and me at the end of the day. Like we have other friends obviously but...it was always just the two of us...now she's with him all the time and...why did I not see this before?"

"Marco's always been something you've taken for granted, my dear. And while he'll always be there for you there will be other people that notice him. If you want him to be yours then you'll have to fight for him. Or at the very least, _ask him_."

"But...what if it's just me? What if...what if he only sees me as goofy old Star, all buddy-buddy, nothing else?"

"That's a risk you'll have to take, but if anyone will take that chance it's you. Now...let's discuss the retrieval of your book."

* * *

Meanwhile, King Butterfly was not going to let his daughter see him cry. As a king - no as a _father_ , he had to be strong when his little girl was in distress. He returned to his bedroom, checked around quickly and opened the top drawer of his dresser. Pushing aside the clothes, he finally found what he was looking for: the picture that he had secretly commissioned. It was his daughter and the Diaz boy, dressed in the traditional wear of Mewnian royalty and locked in the joyful embrace of young lovers. There was no artist's signature at the bottom, instead there was one word, elegantly lettered:

**STARCO.**

The King looked at the picture as a single tear rolled from each eye. He put the photo back and restored it to it's hiding place, quietly whispering, "Have faith...have faith and our time will come."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Yeah, not a lot happens. Imagine this as more of an establishing shot, getting us up to date on where things are with Star. More things will happen, promises


	2. Starlight, Star Fight

Marco was finally getting the hang of this. It had been a week now since the kiss with Jackie Lynn, and he wanted to do something special for her. So every day after school had been spent skateboarding down the hill. Now, after many, _many_ ice packs he had made it all the way down the hill without falling once. Marco threw up his arms, cried out in triumph...and hit the curb, tasting pavement for the third time that week. At least Jackie wasn't around to see that.

He still couldn't believe how lucky he was. 10 years of seemingly hopeless crushing, and in the end _she_ had asked him out? How often did that happen? He didn't get much of a chance to contemplate his good fortune, sadly, as his hand was bleeding and it stung like all hell. "Marco!" came a familiar voice. He looked up and saw Jackie Lynn coming towards him, gracefully gliding on her own board. "Marco, are you alright?!"  
"Yeah," he grimaced, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just fine. Never been better! You didn't...you didn't see that did you?"  
"I saw you wipe out! You were _not_ paying attention at all dude, you've gotta be more careful than that!"  
Jackie knelt down beside Marco, fishing a water bottle and a headband out of her backpack.  
"I can help clean this out, but it'll sting a bit. I just need you to hold still, 'kay?"  
She opened the top of the bottle, dripping water onto his hand to flush out the little bits of gravel stuck inside. He gritted his teeth at the fresh wave of pain. Now, she took his hand, tenderly wrapping the headband around it and tying it off. "What were you even doing out here anyway?" Marco could feel himself turning red and looked away quickly.  
"I, uh...I was practicing. My skateboarding. I know how much you love it, and I figured it could be something we could do together. Considering how the last time went, I wanted some practice by myself so I wouldn't embarrass you too much. I guess that didn't turn out so well..."

Jackie's eyes were still full of worry, but she couldn't help but smile. _Same old Marco,_ she thought, _always worrying about someone else.  
_ "Dude, that's one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me. But I would _never_ be embarrassed by you, Marco." She sat down on his lap, linking her arms around his neck. Marco turned red, not expecting such a bold move from her.  
" _But,_ I do want you to be careful, okay? I wouldn't want anything to happen to _this,"_ flicking his nose for emphasis. "Or _these," s_ he gently took his hands in her own. Then she leaned towards him, "And especially... _these_." She kissed him. Nothing heavy, just a casual peck on the lips. But it spoke volumes to how comfortable she felt with him. Marco's face was blood red, and he was now at a point where he could barely string a sentence together. Jackie smiled deviously at him. Deciding he had had enough for now, she slid off of his lap and stood up.  
"I was actually looking for you, some guys from school are heading down to the beach today. You want in?"  
Marco stood back up. A day at the beach might be just what he needed! "Definitely! I'll just need to run home and grab my stuff, want to come with?"  
"Sure, hey why don't you invite Star? I know that she's been bummed out since she lost that book of hers. Maybe we could try and cheer her up?"

Marco paused. He had been hoping to get more time just him and Jackie. Even though they were going with a group, he knew that the two of them would likely be left alone. But he knew Star needed him now more than ever. "Yeah, I'll ask when we stop by my house. Maybe a beach day will take her mind off things!"

* * *

It took some convincing on their part, but eventually Star relented and joined them to head down for the beach. Jackie and Marco were both skateboarding while Star rode behind them on her bike, keeping quiet the whole way there. It was only a few minutes ride there, and once they were there it didn't take long to find the rest of their group. Star noticed Janna near the back of the crowd and ran over to her.  
"Janna Banana!"  
"Hey Star! Good to see you out and about!" Janna had a beach towel at the ready, and the pair quickly found a spot to set up an umbrella and relax.  
"Why're you at the beach? This doesn't exactly seem like a Janna sort of thing."  
Janna smirked, "Yeah, I normally don't dig the sun this much. But it's worth it for the...sightseeing."  
Marco had just taken his shirt off, and Janna subtly pointed to him to prove her point. Both girls instantly felt their eyes lock onto him. He didn't have the most impressive physique, but the near daily fights with Star's enemies were certainly showing.  
"Star!" Marco called out to her. Her eyes instantly dropped, not wanting Marco to catch her staring. "Star, come play volleyball with us!" Star started to stand up but quickly stopped when she saw Jackie run up behind him, throwing her arms around his neck.  
"I'm...alright, Marco. You guys have fun." Marco frowned, surprised that Star was passing up the opportunity to learn a new Earth sport. But Jackie had taken his hand and was now beckoning him towards the volleyball nets, so he reluctantly turned away and went to join her.

Star and Janna stuck to their spot, enjoying the gentle breeze rolling off the waves. Marco kept stopping by to try and get Star to join them but each time he was turned down. Now, he and Jackie were right at the waters edge collecting seashells.  
"Nice view, huh?" Star quickly looked around to her left, she had completely forgotten that Janna was with her.  
"Uh...yeah! The ocean is really pretty near sunset!"  
Janna shook her head. "Star, you've barely taken your eyes off of him since we've gotten here." Star could feel her face turning red, and she nodded silently. There was no use trying to cover it up.  
"So when did it occur to you?"  
Star looked down, trying to avoid eye contact. "I guess I always kinda thought that way, in the back of my head. All the hugs, the Blood Moon Ball, losing my wand to save him...but it wasn't until I saw them kiss that I knew." Star looked back to where Marco and Jackie were, her face twisting into a frown as she saw them kissing once again.  
"They just keep _holding hands_ and...and _that_! All the time! Why? It's obnoxious!"  
"They're young people who like each other, I don't know how it is on Mewni but this is standard behavior on Earth," Janna replied.

Suddenly Star and Janna felt a chill in the air behind them, followed by a bright green glow. Star and Janna turned around slowly to see a hole in the air behind them. Star quickly reached into her backpack to fish out her wand, yelling at Janna to run.  
"Star Butterfly! Surprised to see me so soon?" Ludo emerged from the portal. His voice sounded different, with an edge of malice that hadn't been there before. Star felt chills at hearing it, and quickly realized that for the first time that she was _afraid_ of Ludo. He had always come to try and steal her wand with an army of monsters, but this time he came alone. _Something's changed since he's had the book_ , she said to herself. But she couldn't let Ludo see her fear. She raised her wand, but before she could call out a spell Ludo yelled out one of his own. "Shadow...BINDING GRIP!" A shadowy hand emerged from Ludo's wand, wrapping it's fingers around Star. She struggled against the hold but couldn't break free. Ludo advanced on her, a triumphant grin on his face. "That was far easier than I would have thought, Star Butterfly!" he squawked. "I've been studying your precious spellbook quite intently!" He reached for the wand that had slipped out of Star's hand when Marco's foot connected with his face, sending him flying. The hand vanished, freeing Star to retrieve her wand. "You alright, Star?" Star quickly nodded to him, raising her wand before Ludo got another chance to attack. "RAINBOW NOVA RAY!" A rainbow beam shot from her wand but Ludo quickly countered, locking the two on either side of the beam. Out of the corner of her eye, Star saw someone run up beside her. It was Jackie! She grabbed Marco, embracing him and asking if he was alright. Star's face fell, and the nasty Mewni-fly feeling came back to her stomach. Suddenly, the rainbow beam turned a wicked green, blasting both Star and Ludo backwards. Star quickly pulled herself up and looked around for Ludo, only to hear him behind her, cackling wickedly. "What's your deal, Ludo?" He grinned at her again, "This was merely a test, Star Butterfly! I only wanted to see how far I'd come!" He grabbed his dimensional scissors, cutting a hole back to Mewni. "I will return Star Butterfly, I will return to take _everything_ from you!"

Star stood there, staring dumbstruck at the spot where Ludo had just vanished. _He almost **won**_ , she thought to herself. Ludo had only had the book for a week and he already had almost overpowered her. Star wanted to cry, she felt utterly helpless. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Marco there.  
"Are you alright, Star?" She nodded silently. "You know we'll get your book _and_ Glocaryk back, right? We'll get them both back soon."  
Star looked at him, still fighting back tears. She felt her face grow red again, and to her amazement realized that she was _mad_ at him. How could he still not see that this was about more than a book of spells?  
"This isn't just about the spellbook, **_MARCO!_** " Star shoved him backwards and ran past him to where her bike was.

Marco stumbled backwards, almost falling over from shock. Star had been upset with him before but she had never pushed him like that! He quickly recovered and ran after her, calling out her name. He found her where she had left her bike, struggling with the lock. "Stupid - lock - why - won't - you - _open_!" Marco gingerly put his hand on her shoulder once again. "Star...?" Star looked back to him, the tears finally reaching her eyes.  
"What do you want Marco? Shouldn't you be back there making sure _Jackie_ is okay?" Marco was confused at the amount of anger he heard when Star said her name. What had Jackie done to incur her wrath? Then the thought finally occurred to him: was Star _jealous_ of her? His heart sank. His best friend in the world needed him most and all he had wanted to do was spend time with his girlfriend! He had to make this right.  
"Star...we'll always have Friendship Thursday. And Jackie's never coming with us on interdimensional adventures." Star looked confused. "What are you talking about Marco?" She asked. Marco tried to find the words to explain, "What I mean is...you'll always be my best friend Star. And I know I haven't been there as much as I should be, especially since I feel like you need me more than ever right now. I guess what I'm trying to say is, just because Jackie's a bigger part of my life now doesn't mean there's any less room for you." Tears kept running down Star's face, but now there was a hint of a smile to go along with it. "Thanks Marco." Star smiled to herself as she finally hugged Marco. Things still felt weird, but it was a little less than before and she was going to take what she could get. Marco helped her unlock her bike and said goodbye to Jackie, then the two of them started heading back home.  
"You want me to make nachos when we get home? You've certainly earned some!"  
"Will they be super awesome nachos?"  
"Are they ever _not_ super awesome nachos?"  
"Good point, race you home Marco!"

* * *

Back in his lair, Ludo placed the wand on the makeshift pedestal he had constructed. "So, how did I do today? Pretty impressive, right?" The wand glowed with green light, and an otherworldly voice spoke from within. _"You did **excellently** today...Your power grows with each passing day, and soon you shall be **unstoppable**."_ Ludo cackled with glee. "Yes, yes! Soon Star Butterfly will stand no chance!"  
 _"Yes, and soon you will have her wand as well as your own, and then the **universe** shall be yours for the taking." _ Ludo could hardly contain himself, things were progressing even better than he could have imagined! Laughing manically, he left the wand and went back to his bed. He had earned a long night's sleep.

* * *

Marco was awoken in the middle of the night by the light coming from Star's tower. Wiping his eyes, he quietly opened the door to his room and started shuffling down the hall. "Star...whaddya doin' up so late, Star?" He thought he could hear voices coming from her room. Was she talking to someone this late? He was at her door, but as he reached out for her doorknob he froze. Star had just said his name. She was definitely talking to someone...and she was talking about him. Her door was slightly cracked and Marco was able to peek through. Star was sitting in front of her mirror. He couldn't quite see who she was talking to but he was able to catch the end of their conversation.  
"So what do I do, Mom. Do I tell him? Do I not tell him? Do I get involved? This is nuts. Why am I so...this?"  
"Calm down Star, one thing at a time. I can't tell you whether to tell him how you feel or not, but you must let his relationship with this girl unfold however it's going too. If you involve yourself it will be lasting damage to your friendship. As for how you're feeling...it's called being in love. All you can do is let it run its course."  
"Thanks Mom, sorry for keeping you up this late. Love you, bye." Star switched off the mirror and flopped onto her bed.  
"Ughhhh, Marco...why did I wait until _now_ to figure out that I like you?"

Marco's jaw dropped.


	3. Shifting Tides

Marco could hardly believe what he had just heard. Star _liked_ him? Why was he only finding out about this now? How long had Star felt this way? Marco scurried back to his room as quietly as he could, his head filling up with questions. What was he going to say to her? What did this mean for them? What should he do? Marco could feel himself overthinking things, but he knew what he could always do in these situations: make a list. He grabbed a pen and his notebook from his deck, then sat on the edge of his bed and tried to look at things from every possible angle. After about an hour of this, he felt his eyelids growing heavy and decided he had done enough for that night. He put the notebook in his bedside stand so Star wouldn't accidentally see it if she woke him up the next day. He scanned the paper one last time, pleased with his progress. Ultimately, everything came down to one question, the question circled right in the middle of the diagram drawn up:

_How do **I** feel?_

* * *

"Gooooood morning Diaz Family!" Star came bounding down the stairs. Marco's parents smiled, it looked like a bit of Star's cheery self had finally come back. Marco was still half asleep, having stayed up several hours later than expected. He looked up from his cereal to the smiling girl at the stairs, mumbling out a good morning. He got halfway through his sentence when he was cut short. Star looked...different? That wasn't it. Her hair was pulled up into the same messy bun she usually wore in the morning, and she was wearing the same pajamas she normally did...but for some reason, today the mere sight of her took Marco's breath away. _She doesn't look different_ , he realized, _I'm just seeing her for the first time_. He sighed to himself. One night. One night was all it had been, and already things had gotten more complicated than Marco had ever wanted.

* * *

Back at school, Marco's thoughts kept drifting back to the night before. He had felt so guilty seeing Star that morning. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't tell Star what he had heard, things had only just started to get back to normal. Something like this could cause a permanent fracture in their friendship. But he needed _something_ to help show his heart the right way to go. He had been crushing on Jackie since he had first met her, and the week they had been together had been one of the happiest of his life. But all the time he spent with Star just felt... _natural_. Being with her was as easy as breathing. "Mr. Diaz!" Marco looked up, startled to hear his name. It was his math teacher, looking right at him and tapping his foot impatiently. He had clearly been waiting for an answer from Marco for quite some time, and Marco had been too deep inside his own head to even notice. "Umm, can you repeat the question please?"

"Hey, Marco!" School had just let out for the day, and Marco was ready to go home and nap. He was walking to the bus with Star when he heard Jackie calling his name. He turned around to see her, wobbling a little from sheer exhaustion. Star gasped, then quickly clutched his arm to keep him from falling over. The pair slowed down to allow her to catch up. "Jaaackie!" Star helped Marco sit down on a nearby bench, then almost knocked Jackie over with one of her trademark hugs. Jackie quickly regained her footing, smiling and returning the gesture with enthusiasm. "Sup, Star!" Jackie turned to Marco, her face filled with concern. "What happened today, Marco? Graves was waiting on you for about 5 minutes, it's like you weren't even there! Are you doing alright?" Marco frowned. He knew exactly what been preoccupying him, but even _he_ wasn't supposed to know Star's secret. He wasn't about to go telling people if Star wasn't ready for anyone to know. "Just...a really late night. Y'know, studying and everything. I just have to get home and nap, I'll text you tonight?" Jackie still felt worried, but she figured that whatever it was, Marco could handle it. She quickly kissed him on the cheek, "I'll hold you to that!" She turned to Star, still clinging to Marco to keep him upright, "Make sure he takes that nap right away when he gets home!" Star pulled herself up to her full height, giving Jackie a quick salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

Jackie watched as Marco and Star got onto the bus, a sudden twinge of sadness touching her heart. She had been noticing Marco looking at Star all day, differently than he had before. She sat down on the bench, barely noticing it when Janna said down beside her. "You don't take the bus home with them?" She asked. Jackie looked back to her and shook her head. "Nah, I just ride home. It helps clear my head after a long day, y'know?" The pair sat in silence for a few minutes; both of them had quite a bit on their minds. Jackie finally broke the ice. "Janna, have you ever felt...in the way?" Janna looked up, surprised at the question. "What're you talking about, Jackie?" Jackie looked down, tearing up a little, "The two of them, they just feel _right_ for each other, y'know? You see them together and you think _They should be together_." Her lower lip started quivering, "I like him Janna, I _really_ like him but...I just feel like they're _soulmates,_ and I'm just getting in the way!" Janna hugged Jackie, letting the poor girl sob into her shoulder. "Trust me, I get how you're feeling. But he likes you too, Jackie! It's not like there isn't something between you guys as well." She nodded, still crying. Janna patted Jackie on the back, then sat her back up to look her in the eyes. "Besides...even if that is what it ends up coming to, _you_ made it happen." Jackie looked to her in confusion. "Jackie, do you think Marco would ever think he was good enough for someone like Star before you asked him out? Do you think Star would have been able to put a word to how she's feeling right now? Like you said, Marco and Star might be each other's soulmates, but if they wind up together it'll be because of you. That's, like, the best thing you can do for anyone!" Jackie wiped her face, finally able to smile a little bit. "I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better or not, Janna. But...it helps a little bit. Surprisingly." Janna smiled back, then stood up to leave. Her mom's car had just arrived. Jackie waved goodbye to her, than pulled out her phone. She typed out a quick message to Marco, then after a brief hesitation sent it off.

_Meet me tonight at the beach? I think we need to talk_

* * *

Luckily, Marco and Star's house was one of the first stops on their route. Marco managed to get all the way to the door before he passed out entirely, luckily Star was right by his side to catch him. She carried him all the way up the stairs, making note of how adorable he looked, asleep in her arms. _This is a **princess** hold_ , she realized, giggling to herself. She pushed open the door to his room, gently putting him down on his bed. Marco stirred once Star put him down, mumbling sleepily to himself. Star couldn't hear at first, but when she started tucking him in he spoke again, this time loud enough for her to hear. "Starrrrr..." Star's heart warmed at hearing her name, and after closing his door she slumped against his door with a huge grin on her face. _Marco dreams about me..._

Star twirled her way back to her tower, flopping down on her bed and sighing happily. She grabbed for her pillow, but shot upright once she grabbed it. The pillow was...wet. And sticky. And reeking of frog. Star looked at her pillow to find a scroll stuck to it. Gingerly grabbing the scroll off of her bed, Star unrolled it to read what was on the inside. It was a crudely drawn map and a message: _Star Butterfly, Ludo crazy, must be stopped, here is map to find him - Buff Frog_

Star's face fell. She fell back onto her bed once again, staring at the ceiling. She knew what needed to be done, so she closed her eyes to try and catch a few hours of sleep. After that, it would be time to find Ludo and reclaim what was hers.

* * *

Marco woke up a few hours later. Sleep hadn't offered him much relief from what was going on in his head. Star or Jackie, Jackie or Star...even in his dreams his heart was being pulled between the two girls in his life. He rolled over, grabbing his phone off of his nightstand to see the message Jackie had sent him. He frowned, wondering what Jackie needed to talk about so urgently. He sent out a quick reply, _Just woke up, meet me there in 30?_ "Marco!" his mother called from the kitchen, "Marco, your _abuela_ is on the phone, come down and say hi!" "Okay mom, just give me a minute!" Marco sat up, stretched, then started making his way down to the kitchen. His mom handed him the phone then went into the living room. " _Hola_ _abuela_!" "Marco! How are you _,_ _nieto_?" Marco smiled, his _abuela_ was always so excited to hear from him. "I'm...alright, how're you _abuela_?" "Now, Marco. What's on your mind?" Her voice was loving, yet firm, " _Abuela_ always knows if something is bothering one of her _familia_!" Marco sighed, she was right. There was no use trying to keep anything from her. "You're right, it's...about Star, actually." "Ah! And how is my little _mariposa_?" Even through the phone, Marco could hear her light up. Star had met her the last time she had come to visit, and the two of them had become fast friends. "She's alright, but...I overheard something I wasn't supposed to. Star...Star likes me. And I've never really thought of her that way but now it's like, what if I _do_? But I have a girlfriend now, her name's Jackie. I really like her too, and I just...I don't know what to do!" His _abuela_ smiled to herself, Marco was so much like his father at that age. "It will be ok, _nieto_. I know this is hard, but your heart will always have a way of knowing. All you need to do is hear what it has to say!" Marco started rapping his fingers on the table, pondering what she had just said. "Well...there was the Blood Moon. It's said to be a sign of love, and it appeared when I first kissed Jackie." "Ah, this looks likes a good sign for you and Jackie, _si_?" Marco stopped, his mind putting the final piece in place. "No...no I saw it, and the first thing that came to my mind was _Star_!" Marco facepalmed himself, it was so obvious in hindsight! " _Gracias, Abuela_...I have someone I have to talk to!" " _Adios nieto_ , and good luck!" Marco hung up, smiling to himself. His _abuela_ always gave the best advice. He ran out to the garage, grabbed his skateboard and started riding out to meet Jackie at the beach.

Back at Marco's house, Star had woken up. She packed a small backpack with snacks, Buff Frog's map, and her wand. She was all set to go, but there was still one last thing to do. She quietly closed the door to her tower, then sneaked over to Marco's room to check on him. She eased the door open, only to find the room empty. Star wondered where he had gone, but was secretly relieved. She had already decided that she was going alone this time, and Marco not being there would make it easier for her to leave. Until she could sort out how she was feeling, having Marco around in a fight was a potential opening that Ludo could exploit. But the idea of going without him still worried her. She closed his door, wiped a tear from her eye, then opened a portal to Mewni and stepped through.

* * *

Marco arrived at the beach to find Jackie waiting for him, sitting on the sand with her toes in the ocean. Marco took off his helmet and set it by his board, then sat down beside her on the shore. "Hey, Jackie. Everything alright?" Jackie sighed and put her head on Marco's shoulder. "Marco...are you happy?" Marco was taken aback by the question. "Of course I'm happy, Jackie. I mean, why wouldn't I be?" Jackie lifted her head up and turned to look Marco in the eyes. "Marco, I know something happened with you and Star." Marco looked down, of course Jackie would have noticed. "I...overheard something last night. Something I wasn't supposed to know." Jackie looked at him quizzically. "Star likes me, Jackie. She _likes_ me. I don't know what to do, we just started dating and I really like you but...I don't want to break Star's heart either. Plus, I've always kinda thought of Star that way, I just...didn't realize it until I heard how she felt." Now it was Marco's turn to be on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry Jackie...I'm so sorry..." Jackie held Marco tightly, forcing herself to stay strong for him. "Marco...it's okay. I'd always _known_ there was something between you and Star, in fact I was a little surprised when you said yes to me asking you out." Jackie squeezed Marco even tighter, "Even though we've only been dating a week, it's been one of the happiest weeks of my life. But...you and Star are drawn to each other. I'd go so far as to say you two are _soulmates_. You can't fight what's between you guys, you _shouldn't_ fight it...and neither should I." Marco sat there silently holding her, not knowing what to say. Jackie continued, "Marco, you'll always be my friend. You're one of the best friends I've ever had. But I feel like you and Star are meant to be with each other, and I think you feel that too." Marco nodded, it's what his heart had been telling him all along. Hearing Jackie say it only helped confirm that he was making the right choice. He gave her a small smile, "Thanks, Jackie. You really are something else!" Jackie returned the smile and playfully punched him on the arm. "You know it, dude. Now, isn't there something you need to tell a certain someone?" "Yeah, yeah I guess there is!" Marco hopped up, pulling on his helmet as quickly as possible. Jackie stood on the beach a moment longer, watching him speed off in the direction of his house. "Text me with the good news, dude!"

* * *

"Star!" Marco threw the front door open and started running up the stairs. "Star, I need to talk to you!" Marco was surprised that she didn't answer, despite how late it was. He had reached the door to her tower. He knocked, but there was no answer. "Star?" He pushed the door to her tower open. It was empty. Marco quickly looked around, wondering if she was taking a bath or in his room for some reason. Then, his eyes fell to her nightstand. Right on top was Star's phone. Marco opened the top drawer of the nightstand, and his heart sank. The dimensional scissors were gone. He looked around once again but he already knew he wouldn't find anything. He fell against the side of her bed and slumped down to the floor. Star was gone. And Marco had no way of following her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> hola - hello  
> abuela - grandmother  
> nieto - grandson  
> familia - family  
> mariposa - butterfly  
> gracias - thank you  
> adios - goodbye
> 
> Author's note: First off, thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story so far. Every follow, every favorite, every review left brings a smile to my face XD. Special thanks to JustTheDog for doing some proofreading for this chapter, and presumably for future ones as needed.
> 
> This chapter was definitely of the pulling teeth variety. I just got completely stuck on where to even start, luckily once I got that figured out everything else fell into place.
> 
> Now onto news! I had been stuck on some of the pacing for later on. Basically everything was happening at the same time in 8 different places. It was a mess. But I finally found a solution: One of the later chapters is now a two-parter!
> 
> Next up is 'Fallen Star', then after that comes the big one: 'The Maelstrom Pt. 1' and 'The Maelstrom Pt. 2'
> 
> Hold on tight
> 
> -fatal


	4. Fallen Star, Pt. 1

Marco couldn't believe it. Where would Star had gone without him? And why? He sat at the foot of Star's bed, wondering what he could do. He wanted -no, _needed_ \- to find her. There was so much that needed to be said, so much time to be made up for. He thought back to the night of the sleepover, when things seemed to have really began. The speech he had given to the monster inside Truth or Consequences about heads and hearts had been more right than he'd even realized at the time. He _hadn't_ known how he'd felt. He'd always thought that Jackie would be the only girl for him, and while she was even more amazing in real life than the Jackie he'd built up in his head, at the end of the day there was only one choice for him. _It's you, Star. It will **always** be you._

Suddenly, a pair of dimensional scissors appeared in front of Marco and started opening a portal. Marco leapt up. It had to be Star! "Star!" Marco ran forward, throwing his arms out to hug her. Instead, he ran headfirst into what felt like a large, slimy wall that he promptly became stuck too. He looked up, confused. "Oh...hey Buff Frog." The frog monster peeled Marco off of him and set him down. "You, karate boy. Is Star Butterfly around?" Marco looked down. "I don't know. She left her phone, and the dimensional scissors are gone. Even if I knew...I have no way to reach her." Buff Frog hit the wall above Star's bed, clearly frustrated. " _Chert poberi_! That means she has already gone after him:" Marco looked back to him, trying to remain calm. "Buff Frog...who has she gone after?" The large frog sat down, "Ludo. I make map to find him for Star Butterfly. I had investigated him, he had new army but was crazy, talking to wand. But I go back and learn something new, something Star Butterfly must know." Marco didn't know why, but what Buff Frog had just said filled him with dread. "Well...what is it?" The frog's face suddenly grew dark. "Ludo talk to wand...but then wand talk _back_. I don't know how, but someone _inside_ wand."  
" _That's_ why Ludo almost defeated Star...whoever was in the wand must've been helping him! I have to go after her!"  
"Da, I take you there. We hurry, yes?"

Buff Frog opened a portal back to Mewni, and Marco followed him through.

* * *

Star looked out at the field, then checked her map again. This was the place. Finishing up the last of her snacks, she marched forward grimly towards the large hole in the center. It was time.

* * *

Not far behind, Marco and Buff Frog had finally made it through the Forest of Certain Death. He sat on the edge of the woods, catching his breath for a moment. Without Star and her magic, the journey had been far more difficult than before. He looked over to Buff Frog, who motioned for him to follow. "There", he pointed. Marco looked over. It was one of Mewni's great cornfields, but it was completely empty. Marco was confused. "Is this it?" he asked. His companion nodded. "Look again." Marco did, and this time he noticed the large hole in the middle of the field. That must be where he was. Marco began quietly inching his way to the hole. Suddenly the ground shook, and several flashes of light shot out through the hole. They were too late. The battle had already begun.

Inside, Ludo was losing badly and was starting to panic. He had never seen Star this serious and it was all he could do to avoid her onslaught. Every spell of his seemed to be a little off, and what's worse was that the voice in the wand had gone silent. In their last fight she had guided him with every spell, ensuring that he always knew what to cast and where to strike. But now, when he needed it the most, the voice was gone.

Despite the weirdness of not having Marco around, Star found herself more focused on the fight without having to worry about his safety. She threw spell after spell at Ludo, while dodging the ones that came her way. Plus, this battle had none of the excitement and fun of previous encounters. Star just wanted to retrieve her spellbook and get back home to Marco.

Meanwhile, Marco and Buff Frog were watching the duel from behind a pillar in a cave. Marco couldn't take his eyes off of Star. She was completely in control. Every spell of hers was focused, and she remained completely unfazed by Ludo's counterattacks. She was intense, powerful...and strangely beautiful. She looked every inch the future queen of Mewni.

Ludo's last spell had gone well to her left, and Star seized the opportunity to use the most powerful spell she could think of. "SHOOTING STAR EXPLOSION!" The spell hit Ludo square on and threw him against the wall of the cave, his wand flying out of his hand. Star walked past her defeated enemy to the back of the cave where she had seen her spellbook. She could feel the book giving off a strange power, and the book flew open at her touch. Green light illuminated the pages as they flipped forward, stopping at a page in Eclipsia's chapter. Star peered closer, and her eyes grew wide at what she read: VANQUISHING SPELL (for things you want to **never** return). She backed away in horror, and the wand spoke to her. _"Don't be afraid, child..."_ Star dropped the wand in shock, and slowly it floated up from the floor to eye level. _"Don't be afraid...just say these words and this **worm** will bother you no longer."_ Wordlessly, Star grabbed her wand from where it hung in midair. Quickly scanning the incantation, she turned back to Ludo. He was now cowering against one of the walls. "Please...Star Butterfly...have mercy!" Her hands trembling, Star raised her wand up to Ludo's height. She hesitated. Could she do it? No more Ludo certainly _sounded_ nice, but this felt...wrong. Once more, the wand spoke. _"Why do you hesitate...what **more** could you possibly desire?"_ Star's hands grew shakier, and suddenly her mind's eye brought her the answer. The wand fell from Star's hands and she answered the wand's final question: "Marco."

Despite Buff Frog's protests, Marco ran forward upon hearing his name. "Star!" The princess's head jerked around at the sound of his voice. "Marco?!" She barely had time to turn towards Marco when he reached her, throwing his arms around her to pull her closer in than ever before. The pair hugged each other silently for a moment before Marco spoke up. "Star...there's something I have to tell you. A _big_ something." Star shifted herself to look at him, slightly puzzled. "Jackie and me...well, we decided we should just be buddies." Star's heart stopped, what could have possibly happened that Marco and Jackie would break up? And even weirder, why did Marco sound so _okay_ about it? Marco continued, his voice shaking a little bit as he tried to find the right words. "I...I went to your room the other night to see what was keeping you awake, and I overheard what you were talking about with your mother. I know it was wrong, and I should have just forgotten what I heard, but...I couldn't. Because...Star Butterfly, Princess of Mewni, I'm in love with you."

Star's heart was racing. Everything she had been through in the past week, and Marco had just come right out and confessed? She didn't want to question it, but it seemed almost too good to be true. "Heyyy Marco? Could you...could you say that last part again?" She locked eyes with Marco. He spoke again, and this time it was without any hesitation or fear. "Star, I love you." Star giggled, her face glowing bright red and her heart barely able to contain the joy she felt at hearing him say that. She shifted her arms from around his shoulders, gently grabbing the front of his sweatshirt and pulling him slightly forward so that his forehead rested against her own. "Well, it's a little unfair considering you already know...but I'm _completely_ in love with you, Marco Diaz." Their lips were mere inches apart, and the feeling of his breath against her face was driving Star _wild_. A small smile broke out on his face, and now it was Marco who was giggling with relief. _He knew how I felt, and he was **still** worried_ , Star realized. Poor Marco, she would have to make it up to him somehow. They stood there for a few moments not speaking a word, sharing the newfound intimacy found between them. There would be no more walls between them, no more secrets, no more misunderstandings. Everything that had come between them in the past was breaking down in the wake of their confession. Then without warning, something shifted, and the two became aware of just how _little_ space there was between them. Their breathing grew heavier, and now Star's arms found their way around Marco's neck and his hands cradled her face. Gingerly, the two of them leaned towards each other, slowly closing the gap between them. Star closed her eyes, her blood boiling as Marco moved in to kiss her.

Suddenly, Star felt an overwhelming amount of pain. Forcing herself to look around, she saw that Ludo had managed to retrieve his wand and was firing a powerful beam of energy hitting her dead on. She didn't know what spell Ludo was using but it was enough to bring her to her knees. Marco quickly picked up a stone and threw it Ludo's way, knocking him off balance and interrupting the spell. Star picked up her own wand, shaking with fury. She turned to Ludo, her eyes shining with green light. " **DO. YOU. HAVE. _ANY._ IDEA. WHAT YOU JUST INTERRUPTED?" ** Star screamed at him at the top of her lungs. The wand blazed with energy, hissing and throwing off sparks. Star raised her wand and threw the Vanquishing Spell at Ludo, directly striking his own wand that had been thrown up in defense.

Ludo's wand shattered, the force of the blast throwing Ludo and Star backwards. Star's wand and the star from Ludo's wand remained suspended in midair, bound together by the green beam of Star's spell. Marco and Star watched on in awe as the two halves began hovering towards each other. The pieces of the wand drifted closer and closer, and a moment later the second half of the wand's star clicked into place. Blinding green light shown from the now complete wand, and a swirling orb of magic started forming around it. From within the orb, the silhouette of a woman appeared. The silhouette reached out and grabbed the wand, and at her touch the wand grew longer, transforming itself into what must have been the woman's preferred form: an umbrella. The magic started dispersing, and now Star and Marco could make out the woman clearly. She was a little taller than Star, with striking dark eyes and lips. Her brown hair was mostly hidden under a wide-brimmed hat, and the markings on her cheeks were spades in the same shade as her eyes. Star clutched onto Marco, shaking with fear.

For the first time in over a hundred years, Eclipsa Butterfly had set foot on Mewni.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Sooooooo looks like our two-parter comes earlier than expected! Realizing that ~1,500 words had only gotten me halfway and the desire to not rush through anything important to the story contributed to this. Plus, we got a Marco confession and an Eclipsa reveal, which is not bad if I do say so myself!  
> Apologies for the constant shift in plans. From the beginning I've basically only had a couple things I wanted to happen and a couple places I want to go, and the rest of it has sorta been made up as we go along. Happy Holidays, Peace to All, enjoy.
> 
> -fatal


End file.
